Chinese for English speakers House · Lesson 4

Negative with 没

Chinese negative with 没 — 您没有女儿吧? (You don't have daughters, do you?) — 没 is for 有 (have) verb only.

Conversation

  1. Lindo Lindo

    您没有女儿吧？

    nín méi yǒu nǚér ba?

    You don't have daughters, do you?

    Tip: 吧 <ba> = final particle, used to confirm opinions you are quite sure about or to say "let's" ans in "let's go/ let's do"

  2. Bolin Bolin

    对，没有女儿。

    duì, méi yǒu nǚér.

    Yes, no daughters

    Tip: 女儿 <nǚér> = daughter

  3. Bolin Bolin

    您呢？

    Nín ne?

    What about you?

  4. Lindo Lindo

    我没有孩子。

    wǒ yě méi yǒu hái zi.

    I don't have children.

    Tip: 孩子 <háizi> = kids, children

Common questions

Quick answers about this lesson's grammar and vocabulary.

When to use 没 vs 不?

没 negates 有 (have) and past actions. 不 negates everything else: 我不喜欢 (don't like), 我没吃 (didn't eat).

Common Chinese family vocabulary?

女儿 (daughter), 儿子 (son), 哥哥 (older brother), 弟弟 (younger brother), 姐姐 (older sister), 妹妹 (younger sister).

What does 吧 mean here?

Mild presumption / suggestion. 您没有女儿吧? = 'you don't have daughters, do you?'. Soft confirmation.

Test yourself

Pick the English translation for each line from this lesson. Wrong answers are pulled from other Chinese lessons.

4 quick questions on what you just heard.

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